Wings of Fate
by Animemaniagirl
Summary: Sakura and Kai are huge anime fan lovers. One day, they end up in the book itself! Note: This story has no connection with Secrets, my pending uncompleted story with no likenesses except for the character Sakura itself and the FY storyline. This is an AU,
1. Chapter One: The Legend Unfolds

"Wings of Fate"

Chapter One: The Legend Unfolds

--

Friday, October 15, 2004

--

Legend

"Talking"

_Thinking_

--

Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi, but I do own Sakura, my character. Let me make something clear right now. This story has no relation to my other story with Sakura called Secrets. This is an AU (Alternate Universe) story, where Sakura is the same person with the past; only she doesn't dwell on it too much like in my other story. I do not own Kai, who belongs to Kalyn, a RP friend of mine. An RP is making up a story online through i/ms on aim when each person writes a paragraph of the story and it continues on. Kalyn and I wrote this story today, and half the credit of this story belongs to her too because it is her writing along with mine.

--

Kai leaned against the side of a large building, the words 'Public Library' on it.

"Come on Sakura... Hurry up..." Her friend Sakura was supposed to meet her here at least 15 minutes ago. With a sigh she took another look around.

"Hurry up! Geez, those FY mangas aren't going to stay there forever..." Kai and Sakura were big anime fans, specifically on Fushigi Yugi.

Sakura was out of breath as she turned a corner and finally arrived at her destination. "Gomen nasi! I'm soo sorry I'm late!"

Kai rolled her eyes gently. "Okay then, let's go."

She turned, brushing her hair behind her. She had blonde hair that had been dyed purple, with blue streaks all through it. She always said that it reminded her of Nuriko and Chichiri. Kai also had the strangest eyes you'd ever seen. Fay eyes as they were called in some fantasy books: One a deep purple, the other an eerie emerald green. Once inside Kai headed immediately to the manga section, browsing through it.

"Nothing good... wait... Hello!" She grabbed a red book from the shelf.

"Hey! The Universe of the four gods!" She said jokingly, grinning lightly at Sakura.

She opened it to the first place.

"Whoa... Sakura... this IS the Four Gods book!" She grinned.

"Let's go." She flipped it to the next page. The book began to glow bright red, and the two of them were sucked in.

"What the-?" Sakura shielded her eyes in surprise as she saw a bright red light engulf both herself and Kai. Sakura felt herself entering a dream like state it seemed, as she the last thing she saw before she blacked out was a flaming red phoenix.

Kai was the first to awaken. She sat up, looking around.

"Are we in Konan...?" She muttered to herself, turning over to shake Sakura awake.

"Sakura! Come on, let's go find Hotohori quick!" Kai hadn't bothered to dust herself off. She wore blue jeans and a long sleeved shirt with the words: 'Don't piss me off, I'm running out of places to hide the bodies.'

"Konan...?" Sakura echoed as she got up, managing to straighten herself up. She dusted herself off. She was wearing blue jean Capri and a pink flowered blouse. Her hair was tied up in a tight bun, many strands loosely hanging out down to her waist.

Out of nowhere did three stocky built men appear in front of the two girls, knives in hand. Sakura knew what they were going to try to do. She knew how the story went.

"Oh god... Luckily, unlike Miaka-baka, I can fight back." Kai stood cracking her knuckles.

"You wanna fight little boys...? Go ahead... try me." Kai lunged, attacking the three men. After beating the hell out of them really fast, she grabbed Sakura and ran. "We gotta get to the palace!"

"They're following us!" Sakura shouted out, but ran as fast as she could. They were trailing behind them both, but soon after turning a certain path; the two girls were alone.

"Ok... good... now then... which way to the palace?" Kai looked around as she popped out of her hiding spot.

"How can we not see the... Oh! Found it!" Kai pointed to a large building, barely visible around a large wall.

"Ha! Let's go meet the incredibly sexy Emperor of Konan!" She laughed; starting off in the direction she hoped was to the palace.

Sakura flustered at the thought of meeting an anime bishouen, one she never thought could exist; much less ending up in the same book all the mikos were in. But this time, it seemed like Miaka and Yui weren't here. Kai and Sakura were the ones in here instead.

As Sakura followed Kai's lead, they reached the palace. A tall gate was before the entrance of the palace, as was two guards keeping a watchful eye for any suspicious strangers.

The guards automatically spotted them and stopped them from entering.

"What business do you two have here?" One of them said gruffly, staring down at Kai with a intimidate look.

"Excuse you?" Asked Kai in a dangerous voice.

"We are the Suzaku no Mikos...and you DARE try and stop us...?" Kai reached into her pocket, taking out a lighter.

"Want proof?" She flipped open the cap and flicked the lighter on, the flame springing to life. Am I gonna have to get physical?"

The guard was obviously a little surprised by the girl's nature and the strange object in her hand, and was about to back down but the second guard shot Kai an irritated look.

"Well obviously you don't know when to stop telling lies. The Suzaku no miko is a legend. And there is only one, not two mikos," The second guard scoffed. "I'm taking you both to see Saihitei immediately to teach you a lesson with your nonsense."

"Hotohori..." Sakura murmured under her breath. Saihitei was Hotohori's first name.

"What are we going to do?" Sakura whispered to Kai.

Kai growled as a guard grabbed her arm.

"Just go. We're going to see Hotohori right? He'll believe us..." To the guard she said.

"Saihitei the emperor? Right now? Fine! Go ahead! I'm not afraid of some prissy kid!" Kai paused, thinking that maybe she'd gone a little overboard.

The other guard held her at her arm tightly; she almost winced at the immense agony. He was practically crushing her bones. Sakura decided not to complain, and held in her pain. The guards led them in complete silence for a few minutes through a hall with barely any light in it.

Then, they reached a heavy looking door. It swung open fast; light erupting from the room, and the guards both threw Sakura and Kai onto their knees.

It took a couple of seconds just for Sakura to realize she was kneeling on a fine red carpet, and in a throne room no less!

"Oh my god ... " she said, and glanced up to meet the cold look on Emperor Saihitei's face.

"Who are these two?" He asked the guards.

"We don't know," the second answered in a flash. "They wouldn't leave, so we had to bring them here; feisty little things. You should take care of them."

"Leave us," he ordered.

The guards did as they were told. The heavy door swung closed sent a chill down Sakura's spine.

Kai jumped to her feet immediately.

"Nice place ya got here..." She commented, looking around in interest.

"Thought those stupid guards would never leave..." She rubbed her arm.

"Ya know, they need to cut down on the steroids, they nearly broke my arm!" She looked up at Hotohori with a smirk.

"What kind of mockery do you pose to cause such trouble?"

"None what so ever," Sakura spoke up carefully. "We are ... the mikos from another world. Uh ... at least I think so."

Kai nodded. "Yes your Highness. We are the Suzaku no mikos." Kai bowed with a slight grin.

"We'd be honored to be the miko." As an after thought she added,

"Or mikos." She smiled.

"That is, of course. If you'll let us."

Saihitei looked puzzled at the same time. "Mikos? There are two Suzaku no mikos? How is that possible?"

Kai paused,

"Well...I'm not sure. But there are! Sakura-chan is back-up Miko incase someone should happen to me." She looked at Sakura,

"You don't mind do you?"

"Mind what?" Sakura looked at Kai confusedly.

"If I'm first Miko and you're the back-up...weren't you paying attention?" Kai said, raising an eyebrow and smiling.

"Oh ... sorry," Sakura said sheepishly. "I guess I won't mind..."

Kai nodded and turned to Hotohori. "Then it's settled! Are we the mikos or not?"

Saihitei stood from his throne. Sakura watched in a bit of surprise at what he did next. He took off his crown from the top of his head, and down tumbled his long waves of hair. Sakura blushed. How did he manage to look so good like that? She averted her gaze a bit, but saw as he parted his hair at his neck. On his neck, was the symbol of star.

"It is a sealed deal," he said, finally smiling.

Kai grinned pumping her fist in the air.

"Yea! We got Hotohori!" She laughed.

"Introductions! I'm Kai, and this is my friend Sakura. Don't worry, we know who you are already...so no need to introduce yourself..." She walked over to him and stared him, almost defiantly into the eye. "I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship..."

He "If we're going to summon Suzaku... We have to find the other six seishi," Hotohori explained briefly.

"Tamahome, Nuriko, Chichiri, Tasuki, Mitsukake, and Chiriko." Kai said, nodding.

Sakura walked over to Kai. "How do you suppose we're going to find Tamahome? Miaka ran into him first in this book," she whispered softly.

"Don't worry! I'll...think of something..." Kai cleared her throat.

"Now then...Hotohori-sama...I'd like to take a bath and change please...if you don't mind..." Kai smiled. She had a little something planned for Nuriko.

"Hai ... of course. I'll have one of the maids escort both of you to your new rooms."

"Thank you..."

Hotohori summoned two maids, and they led both girls out of the throne room and to their rooms. His eye was on Kai, who had said she was the Suzaku no miko. He had waited forever to meet her, even though he didn't know what she was like. To him, she was exactly how he imagined her to be.

--

Author's Note: I hope no one confused this with this being connected with my other story with Sakura in it, Secrets. This is different from that story, an alternate universe. It's a collaboration fic with Kalyn. RR if you like!


	2. Chapter Two: A Purple Haired Maiden

"Wings of Fate"

Chapter Two: A Purple Haired Maiden

--

Friday, October 15, 2004

--

Legend

"Talking"

_Thinking_

--

Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi, but I do own Sakura, my character. Let me make something clear right now. This story has no relation to my other story with Sakura called Secrets. This is an AU (Alternate Universe) story, where Sakura is the same person with the past; only she doesn't dwell on it too much like in my other story. I do not own Kai, who belongs to Kalyn, a RP friend of mine. An RP is making up a story online through i/ms on aim when each person writes a paragraph of the story and it continues on. Kalyn and I wrote this story today, and half the credit of this story belongs to her too because it is her writing along with mine.

--

Later that day, Kai walked around the palace, looking franticly for the harem...and Nuriko. She'd told Sakura about her little plan before she set out, so Kai's cover wouldn't get blown.

"Ugh...great...I'm lost..." She said out loud, looking annoyed. It was already bad enough that the kimono she wore showed her arms, a little bit of her back where her scars were, but now she was lost.

"Excuse me," a purple haired woman walked up to her. "Are you new here?"

Kai squeaked, and turned to look at the "woman."

"Oh! Yea, afraid so." She laughed lightly, pretending to be new to the palace.

"I'm sorry to trouble you...but would you please show me the way to the harem? I just arrived and as you can guess..." She gestured around. "I have a horrible sense of direction."

The purple haired woman smiled wryly. "You're close to the harem. You're just about standing in front of the door to it."

Kai stared at her blankly.

"I knew that, really. I did." She laughed nervously, looking around.

"Whoo..." She laughed again.

"I'm hopeless...wanna show me around? Although...I can't say I'd help any..." Kai rolled her eyes.

Before the woman opened the doors, she said, "By the way, my name is Kourin."

Kai grinned and nodded. "I'm Kai, nice to meet you." Deciding to go out on a limb she asked, "Have you heard about the Suzaku no miko? There's two so I've heard..."

"Oh ... I've heard from the other harem girls who passed by Saihitei's throne room this morning. They said they heard two, so I suppose there are. Now ... may I show you around to meet everyone else in the harem?"

"Sure! Go ahead! I tend to talk a lot, so...if I start getting on your nerves, just tell me and I'll shut up..." Kai grinned slightly.

'He's so hot!' she thought to herself, chewing on her lower lip.

"Do you have any siblings?" Kai mentally hit herself. That wasn't the smartest thing to say...

Kourin looked down, a little distracted. "I have an older brother, Rokou and a younger sister, Ryuuen. She passed when we were children."

"Oh...sorry...I used to have an older sister...but...she died a while ago..." Kai paused, remembering her older sister, Alexis, who'd been raped and murdered only a year or two ago.

"I also have three half-brothers, and another half-sister...but I've never met her before..."

She bit her lip, thinking about her brothers. Was her dad actually taking care of them still? Better then he had her anyways...Kai glanced absently on a visible scar on her wrist and sighed.

"I'm sorry to hear about your sister too ... but I'm here at this harem because of her. Ryuuen wanted to when she grew up, so I came here to honor her memory," Kourin said sympathetically.

"That's very honorable..." Kai said, running her fingers through her hair.

"I don't think I should meet the other girls however...They might be frightened of me..." She gestured to her eyes,

"Fay eyes.... eyes of a changeling..." She shrugged slightly.

"And my hair..." she tugged on a purple and blue piece of hair.

Kourin shook her head. "Don't worry. They'll like you. And if you don't, ignore them. The types who criticize in this harem are just the worst type of woman to try and marry Saihitei."

Kai laughed brightly.

"Yea...thanks..."

A scholar glanced briefly over at Kai, and then did a double take.

"Kai-sama! What are you doing in the harem!?"

"Oh shit! Busted!" She grabbed Nuriko.

"RUN!" she shouted, taking off, dragging Nuriko behind her. After a while of running, dodging priests and other people, they stopped in the garden. Kai collapsed on a bench, missed, and landed on the ground.

"Ow! Oh man...that was close...stupid scholar person!"

She helped Kai up, and they both were standing at this point.

"What do you mean?" Kourin stared at her suspiciously. "Is there something you're not telling me?" She placed her hands on her hips and pursed her lips.

Kai sweat dropped and grinned.

"Damn! You're gonna be a good mom with that stupid pose!" Kai mentally rolled her eyes at that. Mom, right.

"I'm the first Suzaku no miko.... sorry about deceiving you and all but...yea... I wanted to get to know some people and not have them falling over themselves to bow... I find that stupid... very stupid..."

"You're the Suzaku no miko?" Kourin arched a delicate brow and folded her arms across her chest. "Then we're rivals that means." She gave Kai a determined look. "I won't let you have Saihitei."

Kai sweat dropped. "Don't worry, I don't want to marry Hotohori-sama! I have...someone else in mind..." She looked away, a sort of dreamy look on her face.

"I wanna be friends Kourin...not enemies! So...I won't take Hotohori-sama from you."

"Hmph," Kourin snorted. "You might not want him, but he still wants you."

"Oh man...that's right. He wants to marry the Suzaku no miko right? This puts me in a bind..." Kai bit her lip and looked at Kourin.

"You're one of the Suzaku seven right? Nuriko. The mark is on your collar bone." She placed a hand on her own collarbone, as if to show Kourin where it was.

"And don't try to tell me you're not." Kai winked. "I know all."

Kourin sighed heavily. "Fine. I am Nuriko. But don't think we're friends or anything yet." She glanced around. "And I suppose I'll have to meet the other miko too?"

"Yea...but...I don't know where she is right now...you know...Hotohori will probably be overjoyed to meet the new member to our little...er... group...thingie..." The thought of Nuriko hating her was very painful thought indeed. But hopefully things would work out...right? Kai frowned slightly. And what of Chichiri? She'd just have those how things were.

"Well ... there's nothing else I would speak to you about," Kourin said, then added sarcastically, "Your royal highness."

"I'll be off now..." She started to turn and walk in a different direction.

"Nuriko! Please don't call me that! The next person I hear that from I'm seriously going to kill! That title annoys the hell outta me! I'm not royalty at all, I'm the miko to a giant chicken for God's sake!"

Kourin stared at her oddly. "Then what would I call you?"

"Kai. It is my name after all."

"Kai ... what a strange name," 'Nuriko' trailed off. She focused her eyes on Kai. "Since you already know I'm a seishi, shouldn't I go see Saihitei?"

"Oh! Right!" Kai sweat dropped lightly and began walking back into the palace. "We just have to find him first..."

"No need to worry," she reassured. "There's a short cut through the gardens. I take it all the time just to get to a side entrance of the palace."

"Cool, thanks." Kai grinned.

"Lead the way Nuriko-chan!"

_I wonder if I should tell him I know he's a guy...._

Nuriko led the way firsthand, and for those few minutes there was an awkward silence going on between both of them. As they came closer to the palace side entrance, there was someone sitting on one of the benches out in the garden. It was Sakura, who hadn't noticed them approaching yet.

Kai placed a hand on Nuriko's shoulders, and told 'her' to stop. She placed a finger to her lips.

"Shh!" She tiptoed forward until she was right behind Sakura and...

"BOO!"

Sakura, who was so in tune with her own thoughts was naturally startled and flinched. "Oh, Kai, it's only-" She cut off her sentence when she noticed who was standing next to her friend.

"Uh..." she thought fast of what to say the familiar purple haired seishi. "Konnichiwa, Lady Kourin," Sakura said formally. She was from Tokyo, Japan, was where she lived now. She studied English before, so it was her second language. Sakura was trying hard to conceal her blushed face, which she somehow managed to do so.

Nuriko nodded, looking surprised. 'She' turned to Kai. "This is the other miko?"

"Yep. That's Sakura. Sakura, this is Nuriko." Kai was originally from New York, but moved to Tokyo at the age of 12, a year before she was raped. Japanese was her second language.

"I've met both of you so far," Nuriko said. "Now we need to find Saihitei."

Kai nodded. "Yep! On to find Hotohori... Where ever he may be...we could try the Throne Room...or his study...We just gotta find 'em..."

"I think I saw him in the prayer room just before..." Sakura said. "I'm not sure where it is, but it has a huge golden statue of Suzaku there."

"Did you know that 'Suzaku' means Crimson Sparrow? And all this time I've been calling him a Giant Chicken..." Kai said randomly as she walked off in some random direction.

"Hey, you think if we get to the temple thingie fast enough we could hear what he was talking about?"

Nuriko and Sakura followed along with Kai, but soon there were only two people walking together absent-mindedly. Sakura looked behind her, and saw that Nuriko wasn't with her. A red question mark popped up at the side of her head.

"Hey, Kai," Sakura called out as she hurried to catch up with her. "I think we're lost or something ... especially since Nuriko is no where with us."

Kai stopped and looked aorund.

"Eh? Hey! Nuriko!" Kai called, looking around.

"Well...things couldn't get any worse then this..." She said as she stared back. "Let's juts get inside or something..."

"Are you sure about that?" Sakura sounded worried. "We might end up in a room we're not allowed in."

Before anyone could say anything, the door the girls were standing near suddenly tipped open a little so you could see only a crack of what was going on inside the room.

Sakura peered in, and looked astonished. "I think this is Hotohori's room ... with Nuriko in it; looks like they're discussing something. I wonder how Nuriko got here before us?"

Sakura kept quiet and did as Kai did.

"Hai, Hotohori-sama, I am the Suzaku seishi Nuriko."

"Hm ... I never expected to find one so fast," he considered thoughtfully. "But we have much work to do to find the others." He paused to think for a minute. "Have you met the Suzaku no mikos yet?"

"I have," 'she' answered. "Unfortunately, I lost them on the way here."

"Lost them?" Hotohori asked quizzically.

"I took the right turn to get here, and well ... they must've gotten lost somewhere along the way," Nuriko sweat dropped as she explained.

--Flashback--

Nuriko silently followed Kai, along side with Sakura, the other miko. 'She' stopped at a left path, and wondered if she should take it. 'She' hadn't noticed Kai and Sakura had already taken the right path and left 'her' behind. .

"Well, what do you think?" Nuriko asked out loud, but there was no answer.

"Hey, what are-" 'she' turned around and saw no one.

"Ugh, now I've lost them," 'she' huffed. "Oh well, might as well try this path since I'm already lost in this palace."

--End of Flashback—

Kai decided this would be a good moment to interfere. She knocked on the door and entered.

"Hey Hotohori, have you seen-oh! Nuriko! Hey." She grinned.

"We found you, and Hotohori, lucky us..." She looked to Hotohori.

"I see you've already met Nuriko-chan!"

Sakura came in from behind Kai, a bit nervous if they were interrupting anything important.

"Kai, Sakura," Hotohori said, nodding. "It's good to see you again."

Kai grinned.

"Yea, nice to see you again too." She nodded.

"Were we interrupting anything important? Cause if so, we can to bed now...I'm tired anyways..." She paused. "Where's my room?"

"Didn't the maids show us where our rooms before when we first met Hotohori?" Sakura asked Kai. "Should I ... show you to it?"

"I forget things almost instantly." Kai replied, looking annoyed.

"But if you can get us there with out getting lost, then sure. Lead the way." She looked behind her shoulder at Hotohori and Nuriko.

"Night you two! Sweet dreams!"

"Erm ... I didn't mean it like that." Sakura said apologetically. "At least, I think I know the way..." she said nervously.

"I'll ... see you two later?" Sakura said to Hotohori and Nuriko, and turned on her heel on the way out.

Kai rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"See ya..." Her eyes lingered on Nuriko for a moment or two longer then they should've before she snapped to reality.

"Night!" She turned and hurried out the door after Sakura.

"Do you think I should tell him I know he's a guy?" She asked her as they walked along.

"Well, we're going to have to let him know who know he's a cross dresser sooner or later," Sakura said. "Or do you want to end up revealing Nuriko as a man like Miaka did?"

"...Miaka hugged him naked in a hot spring..." Kai went silent for moment, a silly little grin spreading on her face.

"Nuriko...naked..." She giggled.

"Nah, I'll tell him tomorrow or...something...can we go to bed now?"


	3. Chapter Three: Mysterious Happenings

"Wings of Fate"

Chapter Three: Mysterious Happenings

--

Written Friday, October 16, 2004

Finished Sunday, October 17, 2004

--

Legend

"Talking"

_Thinking_

--

Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi, but I do own Sakura, my character. Let me make something clear right now. This story has no relation to my other story with Sakura called Secrets. This is an AU (Alternate Universe) story, where Sakura is the same person with the past; only she doesn't dwell on it too much like in my other story. I do not own Kai, who belongs to Kalyn, a RP friend of mine. An RP is making up a story online through i/ms on aim when each person writes a paragraph of the story and it continues on. Kalyn and I wrote this story today, and half the credit of this story belongs to her too because it is her writing along with mine.

--

The next day ...

Kai aimlessly wondered the halls, not bothering to go to breakfast. She wasn't hungry, she was to busy looking for out, come out where ever you are..." She said sarcastically.

Like on cue, Nuriko was turning a corner and Kai bumped into 'her', sending them both flying backwards onto the cold floor.

"Ouch! Oh! Nuriko! Hey! Sorry, didnt see you there!' Kai laughed, standing and helping Nuriko up. "You ok?"

Nuriko dusted herself off lightly and got up from the ground. "Fine, arigatou. How about you?"

"Eh. I've been through worse." Kai brushed off the sleeves of her shirt and looked at 'her.'

"Nuriko...I gotta talk to you about something. It's really important..." She looked around, as if to see if anyone was watching them.

"Honto? What is it?" Nuriko asked curiously. 'She' had no apparent idea what was going to hit 'her' next of Kai was going to say.

Kai took a deep breath. "Nuriko...I know you're a guy...and that you're, more or less, gay..." She winced, as if waiting for an explosion to happen.

"Excuse me? What are you talking about? You're joking, right?" Nuriko was denying it all without looking the slightest bit of 'her' hiding anything.

Kai smirked.

"Nuriko...you don't have to hide it or anything...it's...kinda obvious. I promise I won't tell anyone, alright?"

Nuriko sighed. Loudly. "How do you even know these things? What are you? Psychic?"

Kai grinned. "You could say that."

She bit he lip, wondering what to say next.

"That's all I really wanted you to know...Sakura knows too...but we won't tell anyone. Promise." She smiled reassuringly before turning and starting to walk off.

"Plus, you don't have any breasts." With a giggle she ran off to go find...anyone to bother.

Sakura trotted down the halls, doing nothing in particular.

_I wonder how things are with Kai and Nuriko? _

She was still adjusting to the palace. With a right and left path before her, she randomly picked the left one. No sooner did she run into Kai.

"So? How'd it go?"

"Better then I thought it would..." Kai admitted with a shrug.

"He took it pretty well...so long as we don't tell anyone..." There was a pause. "...Lets go bother Hotohori!"

"That's good," Sakura commented. "But what would we do with Hotohori? He's probably busy anyway..." She thought up something else. "And besides, don't you think he'll do that speech thing with proclaiming his love for you and everything? I can already tell you're going to reject him."

"Well..." Kai bit her lip, a nervous habit of hers.

"I doubt Nuriko could ever love me...maybe...maybe i should..." She leaned against a near-by pillar.

"Then again...I don't have a heart...I can't love..." She shook her head.

"I'll be by the pond if anyone needs me...k?" Kai turned and began to walk away, towards the garden.

"Why did Suzaku drag me in here...? Only a virgin can summon Suzaku...I'm not a virgin...not since..." She trailed off, looking angry. She grabbed a rock and threw it into the and with all her might, once she got there.

"DAMMIT!!! THOSE BASTERDS HOW DARE THEY!!!" She shrieked, her voice echoing through out the palace. She sank down onto the bank, tears silently streaming down her face. "Dammit..."

"Are alright, Kai?" A masculine voice asked. It was Hotohori. "You seem upset."

Kai jumped slightly, and looked toward Hotohroi, a wary look on her face.

"...I'm fine." She looked back to the water, swiping away tears.

"Just peachy..." she muttered.

Hotohori walked a little closer, and glanced into the pond water that reflected both their mirror images. "You don't have to hide your feelings from anyone. I can see you're suffering over a past trauma."

Kai was silent for a moment.

"They didn't once think of how it affected me...or my sister..." Her hand clenched into a fist.

"Those basterds raped me and my sister...and they killed her while I escaped...if I'd stayed behind...If I'd helped her...she might still be alive..." Kai grabbed another rock and threw it into the pond, getting herself soaked.

"I'm such a coward..."

"The past is the past. You didn't know what would've happened if you weren't there. You would've died along side with her, and you probably wouldn't be here today. You don't need to close your heart because of it."

"You have no idea all I've been through. I don't want to waste my time trying to explain it to someone who could have no idea." Kai said, eyes narrowing angrily.

"I'm afraid you'll find I'm wary and scared around men. For more reasons then one." She stood.

"I'm going to go find Nuriko again." She twirled on heel and began to walk off.

Kai stomped down the empty halls, half angry for letting anyone hear her venting about her past, and half mad at herself for being rude to Hotohori. It wasn't that she hated him, but whenever someone tried to get close to her or talk to her, she just pushed them all away.

_Is that what I'm really afraid of? Opening up to people and letting myself be happy...?_

She had a hard past though, and it was difficult to turn back the hands of time to not be so insecure and not hold up the walls to her heart all the time.

Kai shook her head. No. It wasn't that. She was afraid of rejection, and of pain. She looked up at the sound of footsteps, only to see the guards from before.

"See? I told you I was the Suzaku no miko."

The guards glared at her. "Just because Saihitei-sama believes you, doesn't mean we will."

"Whatever...outta my way."

One of the guards slammed her against the wall, the other laughing behind him.

"Obviously you don't know how things work around here. Women listen to the men. Now you be a good little girl and listen to us!" One hand snaked up Kais shirt, as flashes of her rape came back. She saw red, and then blacked out.

When she woke up, the bodies of the two guards lay in front of her, mangled, nearly torn to shreds. Kai glanced down at herself, seeing that she was covered in blood. She panicked and ran to the pond again, relieved that she didn't see Hotohori there, and ran in waist deep, furiously scrubbing the blood of her clothes and skin.

_Someone's bound to notice the bodies by now... _

The pond water was then contaminated with swirls of red blood. This would look suspicious.

Kai shook violently, both in fear and disgust. What had she done!? She sank low into the water, so that it came up to her chin.

"Dammit..."

Meanwhile ...

A scholar raced through the halls, trying to find the Emperor.

"Emperor Saihitei!" He cried, racing into the throne room.

"Emperor Saihitei! Forgive me sire, but this is dreadfully important! Two guards for found mangled in one of the main corridors sir!"

"Search the entire palace immediately,and send for help," Hotohori automatically commanded. "Be cautious of any strangers. Report back to me."

The scholar bowed. "Hai, your Highness. I'll get on it right away!" He raced out of the room.

Out in the halls, Sakura closed the door behind her as she left her room.

_Wow, I never knew how boring it could get in this palace. No offense, but seriously, there's absolutely nothing to do here. _

Sakura continued to walk down the halls, bored and having nothing to do. But she never expected what would come next when she turned another corner.

Her face went stark pale and took a step back at the gruesome scene before her. Fresh blood spilled over the unconscious and motionless guards.

_What in the world happened here?_

She felt sick just looking over them, and the smell of metallic liquid filled her nostrils. She was just about ready to vomit.

"You heard what happened? Two guards were slaughtered out in one of these halls," a rough voice said nearby.

"And we have to find them?" The other guard sounded disgusted. "Who'd want to see a sight like that?"

_Damn! Just my luck, now two guards are approaching me! What if they think I killed them? Oh my God! _

Surely enough, the two guards reached there before Sakura could hide.

"What the-?" The guard stared warily at Sakura. "What are you doing here?"

"And with those guards!" The other said, pointing at the limp figures. He walked closer and bent down to examine them vaguely. "Doesn't look like they're alive. Probably dead already."

"I didn't touch them!" Sakura stated. "They were like that when I got here!"

The guard narrowed his eyes at her. "No matter what, you're a suspect. We should take you to the dungeon room."

"Nani?!" Sakura yelled out, but her protests were cut off, as they both led her along and away.

_Great ... now I'm a criminal? _


End file.
